Category: Coastal Style

Maggie Bohlman turned to the cleverest ends of the color spectrum to update her 1927 Spanish-style fixer-upper. Eye-popping blue, green, pink and yellow substituted beige and brown, covering nearly every wall and floor. Summers at New Jersey’s Jersey Shore and time spent as a teen in some of New York City’s neon-filled clubs, including Danceteria, motivated the overhaul overhaul. “These items all in a way helped shape my love for bright colours,” she says.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Maggie Bohlman, son Charlie, Spanish Water Dog Bernie Williams, Jr., and cat Halibut
Location: Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size:1,830 square feet; 3 bedrooms, two baths

Madison Modern Home

Peacock-blue walls and magenta accents enliven the family room. The handmade marquee sign is by Ventura artist Scott Coppersmith. Bohlman’s former neighbor, an art instructor, helped her narrow her down wall colours. “We introduced her a color swatch book and went room by room,” Bohlman says. “The space and light really helped make the choices clear.”

Wall paint: Peacock Blue, Glidden; suzani pillows: Located Object, Joss and Main; sofa: Crate & Barrel

Madison Modern Home

Custom reclaimed wood shelves with magenta shirts span the room; they exhibit Mexican bits found on Olvera Street in downtown L.A.

Shelves: Scott Coppersmith

Before Photo

This was the condition of the living area when Bohlman and boy Charlie first transferred in. “I am gradually adding back some Spanish revival touches to the house it seems were lost through a 1957 remodel,” Bohlman says.

Madison Modern Home

Madison Modern Home

AFTER: After ripping out the carpet, Bohlman discovered red bamboo flooring, which she refinished. She added a small arch to the door frame. A deep purple rug now dominates the distance, and Eva Zeisel sconces cast a gentle glow. Bohlman found the Room & Board Jasper sofa for $200 on Craigslist and had it slipcovered. Vintage family photos hang above a piano painted in exactly the exact same soft aqua color as the walls.

A pair of designer lounge seats was Bohlman’s first “grown-up” purchase; she had them reupholstered in a green retro fabric. She scored the apothecary chest at a salvage yard in Berkeley, California.

Wall paint: Windswept, Dunn-Edwards; embroidered bench: Pallavi Bench, Joss and Main

Madison Modern Home

A print of John F. Kennedy which Bohlman spotted online inspired a collection of memorabilia.

Madison Modern Home

Against the advice of all her friends, Bohlman purchased and installed this owl-patterned Catalina Estrada wallpaper. It is now the star of the display in the miniature dining area.

Bubbles Globe Pendant: Lumens; wallpaper: Bloom Papers

Madison Modern Home

Bohlman stores family heirloom dishes in a corner hutch she found at a salvage yard. Family friend Deborah Wian White’s photography and silhouettes of all Bohlman’s son, dog and cat decorate the walls.

Wall paint: Windswept, Dunn-Edwards

Madison Modern Home

A classic floral chandelier, subway signs and vivid yellow walls energizes an eating area.

Wall paint: Egg Yolk 13A6, True Worth; table: Laguna, James Devlin Studio; hints: Going Underground

When to make use of yellow in the dining area

Madison Modern Home

Apple-green walls and floral-pattern bedding amp up the main bedroom. “It is bright, fun and comfy, and the backyard is right there — my puppy snuggles with me and my son to the mattress,” Bohlman says. She took the photograph hanging over her bed during a trip to Thailand.

After fawning over her friend’s Marianna Kennedy lamp for years, Bohlman finally splurged on a magenta one of her own, which is currently on the nightstand.

Interior paint: Granny Smith Apple, Glidden; suzani blanket: Black Fig Designs; cushion: CasaOtomi

Madison Modern Home

A lively fuchsia wall mural from Viktoria Begg, also from Bloom Papers, and a matching pink console increase the playfulness of this room.

Madison Modern Home

The bed in the guest area includes a coverlet stitched with a grid of the city of Los Angeles from Haptic Lab.

Wall paint: Granny Smith Apple, Glidden; bookcase: Sapien, Design Within Reach

Madison Modern Home

A chalkboard paint border decorates Charlie’s room, which also includes geography-theme bits, like a map-covered toy chest, and handmade letters.

Chest: Drift Studio, Fab; letters: EcoHaus Project, Etsy; bookcase: Expedit, Ikea

decorate your child’s room with chalkboard paint

Before Photo

The home came with exactly what Bohlman explains as “awful 1950s aluminum windows” She worked with Brett Taylor at Taylor Brothers to find a more appropriate version that could honor the home’s original Spanish style.

AFTER: The new windows improve the front facade and provide better insulation. Bohlman also substituted the outside light fixtures and additional potted olive and fig trees.

“When we got here, the lawn hadn’t any trees, a half cinder block wall for no apparent reason about the terrace, an old metal drop and vulnerable chain link fence,” says Bohlman. “It was rather depressing.” She implanted privet and bougainvillea, and honeysuckle and black bamboo in planters, to conceal an unsightly fence.

She subsequently installed a 130-inch outdoor screen and a projector to watch films, like The Thin Man and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Contractor: Edwin Vides; shade sails: Amazon; chairs: Woodard Sculptura in powder-coated orange; planters: Potted in Atwater Village; succulents: Home Depot

Madison Modern Home

“My house is my castle,” says Bohlman, revealed here with Charlie. “It may not be as big or as swanky as other people’s houses, but it’s mine, and I’ve made it a place for our small family to grow, flourish, laugh and be motivated.”

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It was a running joke that once layout blogger Dana McGill-Perez became eccentric and old, she would move in the backyard shed of her daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and Joe Eggleston. The joke took a turn when she decided to let the Egglestons and their two boys move into her home, and she would dwell inside her own backyard instead.

But a shed was out of the question. So she designed a smart little one-bedroom unit having a kitchen, a complete bathroom with a walk in shower and lots of room for her collection of midcentury bits.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Dana McGill-Perez
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Size: 676 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bath
Price: Around $65,000, such as basic construction, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and interior fittings and furnishings

There was an existing concrete slab and a detached carport with a two-room workshop where the package could fit perfectly. McGill-Perez sat down with a bit of graph paper, a ruler and a pencil and proceeded to work on a redesign, then turning the existing footprint to the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom and building out for additional living room. After she finalized the floor plans and hired general contractor Jose Camarillo, construction started; it took three months to finish.

Exterior paint: Thunderous, Sherwin-Williams; planters: Oscar, CB2

Angela Flournoy

Camarillo was not acquainted with midcentury architecture but followed closely McGill-Perez’s instructions to a T. “I am as comfy in this package like I was in the main home,” she states.

McGill-Perez designed a partial wall using shelving to show her smaller midcentury treasures, and to create a barrier between the living room and the sleeping area. Vintage pieces by Giovanni de Simone, Scheurich, Larry Laslo and Royal Haeger; a West German fat lava vasebirds and birds from Tapio Wirkkala decorate the shelves.

Sofa: Rochelle, Gus Modern collection; chair: vintage, IB Kofod-Larsen

Angela Flournoy

McGill-Perez, shown here, says her family members all agreed at the outset to honor one another’s need for time, but they still appreciate lots of family activities together, like sharing a cup of coffee, having a movie night or grilling on the patio. “So far, our experiment in multigenerational living is working splendidly,” she states.

8 ways to make multigenerational living work

Angela Flournoy

Sourcing the furnishings and fittings was a bit of a struggle for McGill-Perez. She basically scours the Internet at several times round the clock for sales and bargains. “I am not a thrifter; I don’t have the patience,” she states. “Invariably, I’d start off looking at high-end materials and talk down myself.”

Chair, ottoman: Alpha, Ekornes

Angela Flournoy

One of McGill-Perez’s first purchases was this credenza, which she paid less than $200 for. She later discovered that it had been created by Jens Risom.

Bird accessory: Eames House Bird, Vitra; macramé hanger: Ouch Flower

Angela Flournoy

McGill-Perez initially wanted custom kitchen storage but proceeded with budget-friendly Ikea cabinets. “I don’t have a criticism on earth about the quality,” she states. The kitchen cost approximately $15,000, including the appliances, sink, sink and fan.

Countertops: Night Mist quartz surface, Silestone; cabinets: Akurum, Ikea

Angela Flournoy

Some of her proudest purchases would be the light fixtures that hang over her house office space (as well as in the bathroom). She paid less than $30 for every.

The Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe manual typewriter is a current purchase that is an ode to the first days of her career as a high school business teacher.

Angela Flournoy

Desk: vintage drop-front secretary; glass birds: Oiva Toikka; framed artwork (right): Sol LeWitt print, Art.com

Angela Flournoy

“My two grandsons love to see what they call Grammo’s Little House,” she states. “My normal day begins with their sweet voices shouting, ‘Grammo, Grammo, awaken!’ As they rush in my bedroom.”

Planter: IN2, Architectural Pottery

Angela Flournoy

A huge walk-in shower plus a modern, straight-side toilet were musts in the bathroom. She also used kitchen cabinets, which can be deeper than bathroom cabinets, for more storage. The bathroom cost $10,000, including the sink, toilet, shower fittings and faucet.

Faucet: Lahara, Delta; shower: Linden, Delta; accent tile: Tessera Square Tundra Glass, Merola Tile, Home Depot; shelving unit: Expedit, Ikea; baskets: Knipsa, Ikea; mirror: Raphael by Howard Elliott, Wayfair; toilet: Cadet Straight Side Toilet, American Standard, Lowe’s

Angela Flournoy

Having plenty of plants in the green area away from the bedroom was a must. McGill-Perez desired to have the ability to look outside and see green, not simply bare fence. In the fall she will grow chrysanthemums and ferns. In winter she will add pansies.

Drapery: Track Panel Curtains, Casa.com; floors: 12-millimeter walnut laminate, Lumber Liquidators

More: A Family of Four Unwinds in 540 Square Feet

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Having a passion for surf and sun, Stuart Gasner and Kate Ditzler built a dream second-home escape for themselves, their five children and friends on a vast meadow concealed in the mountains of Aptos, just south of the surfing community of Santa Cruz in California. The compound-style retreat pulls inspiration from California barns and pastoral cabin chemicals found in Sweden’s Stockholm archipelago, where the couple has traveled.

Cass Calder Smith of CCS Architecture helped create the home, which they now use for everything from weekend getaways to work retreats and New Year’s Eve parties. “We wanted the area to be superflexible,” says Ditzler. “It readily accommodates 25, while also feeling intimate with only both people.”

at a Glance
Who lives here: Kate Ditzler and Stuart Gasner
Location: Aptos, California
Size: 2,800 square feet on 16 acres; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 cabins and a barn
That is intriguing: The couple plans to make a hiking trail around the 16-acre property.

Shannon Malone

The pair worked with designer Lynn Ross of Lynn Ross Designs to the interiors. “She was a fantastic resource in making the house more functional, and saved us a ton of money,” says Ditzler.

They commissioned San Francisco artist Jeff Canham to make the piece on the living room wall.

Couch, seat: Roche Bobois; carpeting: Krimsa

Shannon Malone

California painter Antoinette Von Grone’s “Timber Baron of Mendocino County” bit hangs in the dining area. Thomas Schwaiger Design, a manufacturer of hand-made furniture in Murrieta, California, created the rustic chandelier.

Table: Restoration Hardware; chairs: Scandinavian Designs; rug: Krimsa

Shannon Malone

Each the furniture and interior elements were designed to maintain a rustic but elegant look, Ross says.

Shannon Malone

“Like the cottages we saw on the rocky outcroppings in Sweden, the house is made for outside household living that is not like everyday life,” says Gasner. The main house is one 60-foot room with a living area, dining area and kitchen. The walls of windows are huge sliding doors which open up the space completely to the lawn outside.

“We adore the sunshine streaming in the big windows and everybody gathered around the massive island, chatting while eating, drinking and cooking,” says Ditzler.

Shannon Malone

“Kate is drawn to quite minimalist style but still friendly and inviting. She was especially interested in a house that was simple to keep tidy and clean,” Gasner says.

Cabinet paint: Caliente, Benjamin Moore; chairs: Scandinavian Designs

Shannon Malone

The exterior siding is custom reclaimed barn wood from Vermont. The couple managed to pick the style and color they wanted. The siding is 50 percent reddish, 25 percent brown and 25 percent grey.

Shannon Malone

Inspired by a camp-like setting, the couple decided to not incorporate a bathroom on the main floor of the house, requiring their visitors to go out to use the Costanoa-style communal bathroom — Costanoa is a local coastal retreat website. In the communal bathroom at the couple’s home are two bathrooms, a massive stone shower with two showerheads and a family-style sink.

Shannon Malone

“The bathroom becomes one of the most popular hangouts,” says Ditzler. “Everybody is frequently in here talking and getting ready”

Shannon Malone

Cedar timber paneling lines the inside ceilings and walls. Walnut was used on the staircase and the kitchen island.

Shannon Malone

Shannon Malone

Calder Smith made the stairs landing to possess visual attention with the addition of architectural details such as an opening which overlooks the dining area.

Artwork: Charles Prentiss

Shannon Malone

The upstairs bedroom is the only bedroom in the main house. (there’s another structure with guest bedrooms in addition to onsite sleeping cottages.) The bedroom overlooks the house and contains a view of Monterey Bay on clear days.

Shannon Malone

Gasner sits in his home office. The space includes the bathroom in the house.

Shannon Malone

A window in the bedroom overlooks the living area and the fireplace.

Shannon Malone

Ditzler and Calder Smith disagreed on particular features of the home, such as adding this Woods background by Cole & Son and window treatments to the guest bedrooms. Ditzler feels these elements give the rooms a cozier and more personal feel, while Calder Smith favors a more open aesthetic.

Bed framework: La Lune Collection, from Kathy Greatest Design

Shannon Malone

Contractor Brian Bedell came up with an assortment of suggestions to save the cash and to maximize distance. He turned the empty space over the guest room cabinets into additional sleeping lofts.

“There’s a limited age group that can use the lofts,” notes Gasner. “You need to be young enough to still sleep in a room with your parents, but not young enough to fall, and not so old that you can not get up the ladder”

Shannon Malone

Capitola landscape designer Natalain Schwartz used native shrubs and trees, succulents and indigenous grasses to get a low-fuss yard; a meadow and drama place contains Agrostis pallens. “She was very responsive to our desire to maintain monthly maintenance to a minimum, and made around the fact that we are part-time residents and desired to get a low-maintenance setting,” says Ditzler.

“The focus of the landscape design for this gorgeous property was motivated by Kate and Stuart’s desire to connect with the land,” says Schwartz. “The plants were selected to fit the present environment and be harmonious with the style of their property. I concentrated on function, form, texture and year-around interest, such as plants which covered a lot of territory.”

Shannon Malone

“I included plants with specific traits,” Schwartz continues. “Ones which were not covetous with water and offered a pattern of foliage of color on the hillside yearlong, also supported the natural habitat of birds. Even with the struggle of bull, gopher and wild turkey, the plantings remain successful to this day with little replacement.”

She added LED fixtures to illuminate the property’s staircase and pathways using nominal uplighting.

Shannon Malone

The couple wanted to be as environmentally conscious as possible when building their home, and to take full benefit of their luminous environment. Below the pool is a row of solar panels, which heat water for the entire house; the solar power that’s left heats the pool.

Each of the fencing, pathways and mulch were produced from repurposed natural substances found on site.

More: The best way to pick a mulch

Shannon Malone

“We have called the property Ola Grande, which is Spanish for ‘big wave,'” says Ditzler. Besides referring to Gasner’s enthusiasm for surfing and the massive sloping meadow front, the name is a nod to Gasner’s strategy to battles in life, which, like surfing big waves, normally go better once you paddle hard and don’t hesitate, he says.

Shannon Malone

“We initially hoped for a simple house with a lot of contemporary prefab parts, but it ended up very customized and far more expensive than we hoped,” says Gasner. “We were so happy with the final product that we’ve mostly gotten over the cost.”

Shannon Malone

Among the biggest challenges the CCS design group faced was the sloping nature of their house. To attain flat, comfortable spaces, they created a retaining wall which solved problems while developing a spacious, flat lawn.

Shannon Malone

“The house felt like our own when we hosted our first family reunion, Camp Gasner, in July 2009, and we’ve loved hosting our families for reunions and Thanksgivings ever since,” says Ditzler. “We always enjoy bringing the playful side from people with the camp-like atmosphere” A high point for Gasner was hosting his group of finest surfer buddies for a weeklong surf camp and “seeing the men make the most of each characteristic of the area, from sauna to hot tub, to billiard table, to horseshoe pit,” he says.

Shannon Malone

There’s a patio out the sleeping quarters with Adirondack chairs that are fantastic for relaxing and enjoying the view. Beyond is a sauna which Gasner installed himself.

Shannon Malone

The overhangs off the primary house and the sleeping quarters did not have columns for support in the initial design. But after the home was built, the couple decided to include them to better frame the distance, giving the modern concept just a little bit of traditional style.

To save money, the beams are made of glulam rather the steel.

Shannon Malone

A path leads from the primary sleeping quarters to two tent-style cottages, offering more sleeping space for guests. “Our guests love them,” says Ditzler. “They’re normally the first spoken for.”

Shannon Malone

The couple bought the cottages on the internet; they came with all the bits but needed to be built by hand.

Shannon Malone

The decoration of the cottages has.

Shannon Malone

The house had a license for a barn, so the couple chose to assemble one. They use it to celebrations and billiards for everything from surfboard storage.

Shannon Malone

Kate Ditzler and Stuart Gasner unwind with their two dogs, Apollo and Athena.

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Shortly after buying a triplex at Montreal, first time homeowners Dominique Leroux and Anne-Marie McSween attended a local ecological rally which made them rethink their style approach. The two spent the next few months exploring ecofriendly design procedures, then enlisted architect Vouli Mamfredis of Studio MMA to perform the renovation, which lasted a year and comprised reusing as much leftover material as you can in the gutted interior.

Most of the salvaged original wood framing became the newest floor, while neighborhood artisans infused the rest to kitchen cabinetry, a dining room table, stair treads and much more. Even Leroux’s and McSween’s families stepped in to donate unused furniture and wood. “Everything has a story,” says Leroux.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Dominique Leroux, a software engineer, and Anne-Marie McSween, a lawyer
Location: Hochelaga-Maisoneuve district of Montreal
Size: 2,480 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, 1 shower area (top 2 floors only)
Budget: $115 Canadian (roughly U.S.$113) per square foot

Esther Hershcovich

The couple resides on the two top floors while renting out the floor. On the next floor, Mamfredis eliminated walls to open up the kitchen, living and dining spaces.

The woodworking crew at Construction BFG constructed the dining table in the reclaimed basement wood. McSween’s uncle gifted the dining chairs, which are teacher’s school chairs he collected over the years.

Esther Hershcovich

The minibar counter in the kitchen is constructed from old flooring.

Bar stools: local artisan Mat-Pel; suspended lights: Le Lampiste de Beloeil; cabinet wire mesh: Richelieu

Esther Hershcovich

The corrugated metal backsplash is repurposed from the other among Manfredis’ projects, along with the homeowners repurposed countertops that a local Mountain Equipment Co-op store was getting rid of.

McSween and Leroux set up a heated floor program in both the kitchen and baths.

The concrete flooring contains a residue from aluminum lights and is covered with a green sandpaper. The floor didn’t go exactly as planned, however, and the couple ended up with a textured effect.

Esther Hershcovich

An Envirosink sink attracts graywater into a 4,500-liter (1,180-gallon) cistern under the house, that provides water for the bathrooms.

Countertop: ceramic tile, Céragrès

Esther Hershcovich

The columns used for its 9 1/2-foot ceilings are made of salvaged wood picked up in AIM Recyclage, a scrapyard at Charlemagne. The homeowners utilized Eco-Selection oil on all the exposed wood.

A little porch outside the kitchen has shade in the summer and is where they like getting breakfast.

Paint: Papier Japonais 6195-21, Sico Ecosource

Esther Hershcovich

Directly through the kitchen is a wall hiding the toaster and pantry. The couple placed their piano at a central place so that they could play with it anytime during the day.

Paint: Omelette 6093-74, Sico Ecosource

Esther Hershcovich

Leroux, along with McSween’s dad, cleaned and stripped a pallet that previously had been used for roof material and turned it into a coffee table.

The homeowners abandoned the brick vulnerable to add feel. They also left the metail rail that runs along the wall to the exterior that keeps the house from slanting.

They’re still determining whether or not to add artwork to the walls. “When you set up a piece of artwork, eventually you give up viewing it,” Leroux states. They’re considering leasing artwork from a local gallery.

Esther Hershcovich

The couple brought oak, natural wool and latex to local furniture manufacturer Meubles Re-No, who constructed this sectional couch with the materials. The item was then covered in organic hemp fabric from Rawganique, where the couple bought all their cloths in the house.

Esther Hershcovich

Leftover tiles in McSween’s parents’ renovation compose the second-floor bathroom’s counter. “We have whatever material we could from everyone,” states McSween. They used exactly the same tile in the other toilet.

Rainwater in the cistern under the house is used to flush their Caroma toilets.

The poster above the toilet was made for Leroux as a birthday present. It’s the form of a bike that was made with words which describe him.

Esther Hershcovich

The two Leroux and McSween are avid bikers, so that they expanded their main entry door to ease easier transportation of the bicycles.

Esther Hershcovich

The metalwork on the stair rail is by Soudure René Thibault. The wood stair treads are made from the cellar framing.

Esther Hershcovich

The next floor includes the master bedroom, the master bath, a living market and this shared office space with a sizable library. The wood used for its shelves was recycled three occasions: It was originally used for a garage then a chicken coop.

A large built-in desk hugs the vulnerable columns. Two vibrant hammocks with suspended lighting hang nearby Leroux’s guitar set.

Esther Hershcovich

Before the couple’s buying the house, their similar programs were a bit of a nuisance. “We had been biking back from functioning and running for the shower first,” Leroux states.

To repair the problem, a large shower area in the center of the next floor includes two showerheads. A light dome brings in natural light, and the frosted glass on the sliding barn door is made of the home’s old windows. The metal metal is in exactly the same masonry job employed from the kitchen.

Esther Hershcovich

On the opposite side of the top floor is an open, sun-filled area with doors resulting in the master bedroom and master bath. A futon opens up for visiting guests.

Esther Hershcovich

Mat-Pel crafted the mattress and side tables according to Leroux’s layout.

Esther Hershcovich

“You always need to hang your clothes on the doorknob, so that I left a strip of wood with doorknobs,” Leroux states. He made the piece from leftover scraps of wood and recycled porcelain doorknobs from ÉcoRéno.

The curtain holder was made with curved electricity pipes.

Esther Hershcovich

A massive piece of frosted glass repurposed from a porch doorway brings in additional light to your toilet.

Paint: Arôme de tabac 6074-63, Sico Ecosource

Esther Hershcovich

Sliding doors throughout the house maximize space.

Esther Hershcovich

Throughout the renovation the homeowners opened up access to the roof by adding a stairway.

Esther Hershcovich

The stairway leads to the 11- by 20-foot rooftop deck with views of Montreal and the Olympic Stadium. An herb garden includes thyme and chives.

Esther Hershcovich

The architectural structure of the greystone was retained intact. The only viewable change is the contemporary doorway to the next floor.

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After something shunned and banished to crawl spaces and attics, exposed ductwork is on the increase for a design element — and as an energy-efficient alternative. Naturally, those contemplating vaulted ceilings or raising headroom within their home will need to consider what’s hidden above. Fantastic thing savvy designers understand how to generate a simple, utilitarian feature pack a major design punch. Playing size, shape, angles and color enables exposed systems to operate in almost any space.

Designer Cavin Costello of The Ranch Mine in Phoenix uses the approach when remodeling older houses without attic space. In sweltering cities in which temperatures frequently blow beyond 110 degrees, installing ductwork on roofs and piping cool air through the oven-like atmosphere doesn’t make sense in terms of energy efficiency. “You put the ducts in the envelope of the house, also it helps it keep cool,” Costello says. “It is more efficient. You don’t even have to add insulation at the top of them. It cuts down on cost like that, too.”

Here’s to maximum exposure.

The Ranch Mine

Regardless of the challenge of 8-foot-high ceilings, Costello needed to proceed with exposed ducts within this Phoenix-area home, because the midcentury house didn’t have attic space. The only other feasible option was to operate the machine on the roof — not effective in a scorching-hot city, nor aesthetically pleasing.

The Ranch Mine

To lower prices in another project, Costello went with an off-the-shelf-type duct. To make it unique, however — rather than remove from the wooden support beam — he split the system into two smaller vents rather than having one big one.

Peter A. Sellar – Architectural Photographer

Smart ductwork can solve cognitive difficulties, too. A towering ceiling becomes mediated by exposed beams and symmetrical ductwork here.

Elad Gonen

Sleek and minimalist, this magnificent duct is a powerful decor statement all its own.

Domiteaux + Baggett Architects, PLLC

Likewise, this simple design is an eye-pleasing element in a contemporary dining area.

moss

Even the simplest models can work miracles. Here, room-spanning ductwork enlightens a modern design wrapped in rustic timber.

Ryan Duebber Architect, LLC

The exposure system works in areas with low ceilings. In this basement lounge area, a jet-black duct system adds depth to an otherwise closed-in area.

Thom Filicia Inc..

Painting the vulnerable system here pares it down, making way for textural impact in line with the diverse decor.

Momoko Morton

On the flip side, the big, rectangular duct here takes the bold and edgy decor one step farther.

Rad Design Inc

Getting creative with angles allows this system at a Toronto loft dazzle. The tube cascades from a bedroom to the living and kitchen spaces, paralleling the stairs path.

Nicholas Moriarty Interiors

Slick exposed metal causes a fashionable stir within this masculine scheme.

In wood-happy spaces, big shimmering metal accents help divide the material palette.

Elad Gonen

But don’t feel confined to metal. Consider painting ductwork to complement different components.

Angela Todd Designs, Portland, OR

The ceiling is a superb place for incorporating comparison, too. Although this kitchen says urban nation, the ceiling screams modern industrial.

Gus Duffy AIA

A duct run across a wall rather than down the centre adds play while allowing the exposed rafters steal the show .

Charleston Home + Design Mag

Exposed ducts allow ceilings being erase impeded by homeowners. Here it started up a head-turning stability of lines.

Jane Kim Design

Tucked away in gorgeous wood rafters, this system offers a welcome piece of surprise.

Exposed ducts don’t have to be confined to only open living spaces. This small and subtle one is a slam dunk in this bedroom.

Spacecrafting / Architectural Photography

Subtle changes in size and form may draw the eyes together numerous blank lines.

Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors LLC

A crisp corner-hugging layout instills the sophisticated vibe of this TV room.

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“The trees enticed me in initially,” says Dallas architect Christy Blumenfeld. “They reminded me of growing up in Alabama, along with the land just felt Southern.” While Blumenfeld along with her husband, Adam, loved their 1948 ranch-style house, it was in need of extensive renovations. The mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems were outdated, and the couple needed more space for their family. “I opted to utilize the foundation of the original home in lieu of tearing down,” Blumenfeld says. “more is recycled that way, and I also like to enhance the integrity of an existing home. If you strip away all of the layers, then you’re left with the essence and honesty of the space and stuff.”

in a Glance
Who lives here: Christy and Adam Blumenfeld and their 2 children, Alexandra and Ben
Location: Dallas
Size: 6,500 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 5 baths
That is interesting: The kitchen and family room attribute brick flooring original to your home.

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

Blumenfeld added another level to the home, visually proportional to the outside. She also introduced a Southern vernacular with slurried brick, enlarged windows and operable shutters. The tree-lined circular driveway creates an inviting first impression.

Bill Bolin Photography

Blumenfeld made her kitchen with ease in mind. Two separate sinks and 2 faucets are flanked by appliances. The countertops are Calacatta gold marble, but the island is concrete. “Concrete is so simple to maintain,” says Blumenfeld. “I used it on the entire island and lowered part of it for seating for my children.”

Bill Bolin Photography

After adding a new bay window, Blumenfeld says her kitchen eating place is now her favorite place in the home. The area features a round dining table for six and Oly chairs sandwiched between a classic French chandelier and original brick flooring.

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

The family’s formal dining room features an antique dining table, custom seats and an antique armoire. Hanging between the enlarged windows is a painting by the architect’s mother, Jackie Good Briscoe of Decatur, Alabama. Other paintings by Briscoe are found throughout the home. Above the dining table hangs a white feather “chandelier” that Blumenfeld set up for a party. She states, “I thought it was fun, so why not keep it for a while?”

Bill Bolin Photography

The former living room has been transformed to the study and sitting place. The original fireplace mantel was painted to match the interior doorways and is flanked by custom wrought iron shelving components. Four leather seats atop a classic Oushak rug anchor the area.

Wall paint: Ashley Gray, Benjamin Moore; seats: Restoration Hardware; painting: Andrea Rosenberg

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

The 2-inch herringbone plank flooring throughout the home are original. In the foyer, a classic church pew provides seating, and above it hangs a framed classic architectural drawing. The drawing was formerly brown with age, and Blumenfeld bleached, restored and mounted on it for display.

Grass-cloth wall covering: Ralph Lauren Home

Bill Bolin Photography

The back entry opens up to the new porch addition. A leaded glass door, side lights and an arched transom mirror the front entrance and are original to the home.

Bill Bolin Photography

Inside the back screened-in porch is a grill and bar area with concrete counters, refrigerator drawers, a gas grill and one burner.

Bill Bolin Photography

Slated to be an “all-year entertaining area,” the new screened-in porch comes with an arched brick fireplace with a TV above, Bevolo gas stoves and Pennsylvania bluestone floor along with brick. “We slurried the brick to hide where the old house stopped and the new house starts,” Blumenfeld says.

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

Daughter Alexandra practices piano in the main living area/family room, which adjoins the kitchen and dining areas. The window to the right looks out on the new porch addition.

The sitting area features two seats Blumenfeld purchased in a flea market in Paris. “My couch cover is really a lifesaver,” she points out. “It’s machine washable.”

Wall paint: London Fog, Benjamin Moore; ottoman cover: Le Gracieux; couch cover: Quatrine

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

Ben, Blumenfeld’s son, sleeps to a king-size bed composed of 2 twin frames woodworked together. The twins were used in Adam’s youth bedroom.

Wall paint: Arctic Blue, Benjamin Moore; map: National Geographic; sconces and bedding: Pottery Barn

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

In this guest suite, formerly the master bedroom, Blumenfeld created a greater awareness of scale and opened the views by expanding and lowering the original bay windows.

Wall paint: Silver Sage, Restoration Hardware; art: Jackie Goode Briscoe; furniture: classic

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

In the newly added master bedroom, a custom chandelier hangs from 16-foot vaulted ceilings, and symmetrical entries to some his-and-hers toilet help balance the area. Blumenfeld made the bedframe as a gift for Adam.

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

The ceiling marginally lowers in the master bedroom sitting area, which has an oversized ottoman with Aubusson tapestry and a different painting by Jackie Goode Briscoe, that hangs above a custom camelback sofa. The couple enjoys views of the back porch and garden, as well as of a swimming pool along with joint basketball/tennis court, from this sitting area.

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

In the entryway to her husband’s wardrobe region from the master bathroom, Blumenfeld installed magnificent classic French walnut doors along with a transom, all with hand-forged wrought iron details.

“I found these while studying in New Orleans and got them for a steal,” she states. “I held on to them over the years, knowing one day I’d rely on them for a client. That client ended up being me.”

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

The original single-level home had two baths. For the newly added second floor, Blumenfeld produced a bathing alcove overlooking a freestanding bathtub surrounded by 1-inch blue mosaic glass tiles.

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

Blumenfeld’s latest splurge was updating her three wheeled doorways to create a carriage house feel. She also expanded the garage to accomodate a new home office.

Valerie McCaskill Dickman

Blumenfeld is an avid gardener and planted 25 dogwoods around the property when her family moved in. She believes her landscape to be in constant evolution, like her residence, and states her next project will be planting a new vegetable garden. “I think about gardening a daily ritual,” she says with a determined grin.

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